According to the website: "We have added Snatch Challenge to the menu. This is a temporary add-on feature supporting a current 50,000 snatch challenge. The feature will display a list of all participants complete with their total number of snatches and total number of points. In addition, you will be able to view details for each daily entry (what date, how many snatches, which kettlebell and notes)."

As of today I completed 5,670 snatches in the month of December and feel great. My snatch total is 45,670. I only need 4,330 to reach my 50,000 goal. My target date is my 41st birthday of 2/3/10.

The double snatches with the 24kg bells felt great! Yoyu can really feel the power and strength in the exercise.

Finally I wanted to post a link to my 6 year old daughter Jaiden doing pullups after her gymnastics class today. She has been putting up impressive numbers over the last few weeks and today pulled a 29!!!! I had trouble posting it on YouTube but I have one from Monday when she idid 24 reps. I bet most of the guys I know can't do 29 consecutive pullups. She is an animal!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 25 sets of 8 in 12 minutes and 15 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 25 sets of 8 - 200 reps

Then I did:

Double Snatch - 16kg bells - 25 sets of 5 - 125 reps - 250 snatches

After my MV02 warm up I decided to train for power and strength and switched to double snatches. My heart rate stayed elevated for the whole time during my 25 sets. I am going to do alot more double snatches going forward.

Monday, December 28, 2009

I was going to take today off from training but since I am on vacation this week and went a bit crazy with ice cream (1/2 gallon!) and Chinese food yesterday I decided to get some work in with the 24kg bell.

My training looked like this:

Swings - 24kg bell - 400 reps
Figure 8/Hold - 24kg bell - 100 reps

Doing heavy Figure 8s/Hold really works your arms especially after 400 reps of swings. My hands are pretty beat up as the 24kg bell really pulls as you rotate the bell diagonally.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Now that I am back on track to hit 50,000 snatches by my 41st birthday (2/3/10) I have revised my weekly training schedule to get back to a more balanced training regimen. It is 6 weeks from today and if I do about 900 a week I will hit 50,000 on my birthday! That is the plan.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

There is something about just keeping it simple. Snatches and push ups sounds boring but when you think about it by just doing a push and a pull you are hitting your whole body and just doing one rep at a time. I completed a fair number of reps with my eyes closed to concentrate on the "feel" of each rep and make sure I was completing each one perfectly.

Many times we are all caught up and the next great program when sometimes simplicity is the key. Albert Einstein put it best: "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler".

Sunday, December 20, 2009

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 40 sets of 8 in 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 16kg bell - 40 sets of 8 - 320 reps

I kept going and increased the intensity of my VWC by increasing the bell size from 16kg to 20kg on the 15:15. The 20kg bell definitely made it alot more challenging. I dropped the reps from 8 to 6 because my callous started to rip on my right hand and I wanted to get 20 sets.

I did timed snatches with the 20kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 20 sets of 6 in 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

Snatch - 20kg bell - 20 sets of 6 - 120 reps

I was planning on trying to finished with 10 sets of 5 with the 24kg bell and got 2 sets done before the callous ripped and I started to bleed. They tend to freak out at the gym when you are bleeding and not stopping training. Oh well....should have brought my gloves but I like the feel better with bare hands.

Snatch - 24kg bell - 2 sets of 5 - 10 reps

Not a bad session overall but far below what I wanted as I try to close the gap between Rif and myself as we approach 50,000 total snatches.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

I have to go to San Diego, CA tomorrow for a training class for work and will be there until I take the Red Eye home Thursday night. Luckily I have a friend who lives in CA that is picking me up @ the airport. I sent him a 16kg kettlebell a few years ago to use when I go to CA. (My previous company is located in S. CA and I would have to go there a few times a year - so i figured why miss out on kettlebell training. It has been work the investment)

So, after probably taking tomorrow of from training I plan to train in the 36:36 & 15:15 this week. I may do double sessions a few days since I will have extra time. Plus I need to close the gap between Rif and I as I approach 50,000 total snatches.

I am currently @ 42,150 and have done 2,150 in the last 9 days! I am hoping to be able to get about 2,000 snatches done this week. Which may be pushing it but..... whatever!

Today was my first attempt at the 36:36 protocol since May 6th. After getting 100 sets of 8 in the 15:15 on Saturday it is time to progress to the next protocol. I am still planning on mixing in some 15:15 training as well.

There is a definite difference from the 15:15 protocol as your grip and strength wane a lot quicker and it was more difficult to regulate my breathing. Only having 36 seconds of rest after 36 seconds of snatching forces you to hone in your breathing skills. Thirty five sets is going to be a killer. I am planning on increasing my volume by 5 - 10% each workout with a few back off days depending on how I feel .

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 18 with each arm in 36 seconds with approximately 36 second rest between hand switch. I did 15 sets of 18 in 15 minutes and 54 seconds.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

After yesterdays snatches my hands are still fried so I decided to do more of a recovery training session and make it light and short. I did 50 reps with the 15lb clubbell in each of the Trial By Fire exercises: Swipes, Mills and Hammer Swings.

Friday, December 11, 2009

I hit the 80 sets of 8 for the forth time last Friday 12/4 in the 15:15 protocol and I planned on trying to complete it for a fifth today but felt great at 80 sets so I kept going to complete 100 total sets of 8 for 800 snatches in 50 minutes. My hands are hamburger but whatever! I plan on doing more of this as I get closer to my goal of 50,000 total snatches. As of today I am at 41,880.

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 100 sets of 8 in 49 minutes and 45 seconds.
Snatch - 16kg bell - 80 sets of 8 - 800 reps

I decided to wear my heart rate monitor to get a feel for the intensity of the training and ended up with the following data over the 50 minute workout:

My strength has going through the roof with the GVT! To be able 100 strict dips with a 24kg bell around my waist blows my mind. This will be my last week using GVT for a while as it has been 5 weeks. I plan on going back to more of kettlebell circuit training (AOS Providence or The Extreme Kettlebell Cardio Workout), clubbell training and Viking Warrior Conditioning.

My main goals over the next 6 weeks are to lose 2% body fat and reach 50,000 snatches by 2/3/10 - My 41st BD.

My heart rate was in the 170s the last 15 sets of snatches but dropped into the high 150s when I switched to swings. You can really see why Kenneth Jay says the snatch is THE kettlebell exercise to maximize V02. I plan on wearing my heart rate monitor more as I train and am looking forward to seeing the numbers from a training session of 80x8.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

After last weeks swing workout in which I did 200 swings with the 24kg bell and 800 swings with the 20kg bell Mark Reifkind informed me that his wife Tracy has completed ALL 1000 reps with the 24kg bell in 50 minutes. So, obviously I had to man up and take the challenge.

Here is what Tracy had to say about the experience:

"I knew right away this was going to be a long one! Geez, looking at the clock in the beginning and realizing the I had to do the same thing over and over for 50 minutes....5-0!

I need to give much respect to Tracy because this kicked my ass! I did do 640 snatches yesterday with 80 sets of 8 with the 16kg bell but I am not making any excuses.....my grip was friend @ 65 sets and I had to grind it out.

I decided to wear my heart rate monitor to get a feel for the intensity of the training and ended up with the following data over the 50 minute workout:

Friday, December 4, 2009

I felt really strong this morning after eating about 1/4 gallon of Creamsicle ice cream last night. I have been pretty strict for the last three weeks eating more of a 40% protein, 40% carb & 20% fat diet instead of my modified low carb diet and needed to curb by sweet tooth. I think the change in my diet has helped my strength significantly and positively effected my body composition.

I hit the 80 sets of 8 for the forth time today in the 15:15 protocol. I plan on doing more of this as I get closer to my goal of 50,000 total snatches. As of today I am at 40,640!

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 80 sets of 8 in 39 minutes and 45 seconds.